Information storage medium on which drive data is recorded, and method of recording information on the information storage medium

ABSTRACT

An information storage medium includes a drive zone having a plurality of physical clusters or ECC blocks. When new drive data is recorded in the drive zone, the new drive data is recorded in a physical cluster or ECC block next to the physical cluster or ECC block containing the most recently recorded drive data. In the method of recording drive data, the drive data is recorded in a physical cluster or ECC block of the drive zone. When the drive zone is updated with the new drive data, the new drive data is recorded in the physical cluster or ECC block adjacent to physical cluster or ECC block containing the most recently drive data. The drive data recording method is applicable to a new format of information storage medium.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 11/487,394filed on Jul. 17, 2006, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,360,145 which is acontinuation of application Ser. No. 10/461,329 filed on Jun. 16, 2003,now U.S. Pat. No. 7,203,891, and claims the benefit of Korean PatentApplication No. 2002-41292 filed on Jul. 15, 2002, in the KoreanIntellectual Property Office. The disclosures of application Ser. Nos.11/487,394 and 10/461,329 and Korean Patent Application No. 2002-41292are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an information storage medium on whichdrive data is recorded, and a method of recording data on theinformation storage medium.

2. Description of the Related Art

Recordable optical disks (e.g., 4.7 GB DVD-RAM) are designed so that,after one disk is inserted into a drive, information is recorded aboutthe drive used. For example, the information can be about themanufacturer of the drive or the serial number of the drive. Therecorded drive data is recorded in a disk identification zone, which isa recordable data zone in a lead-in area of the disk. Similarly, inrecordable high definition digital versatile disks (HD-DVDs) having arecording capacity of 20 GB or greater, the lead-in area needs toinclude a drive zone having a plurality of physical clusters in order torecord the drive data.

Accordingly, an optimal method of recording drive data on a new formatof an information storage medium needs to be proposed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a method of adaptively recording drivedata on an information storage medium with a new structure, and moreparticularly, an information storage medium in which drive-related datais recorded in a drive zone having a plurality of physical clusters orECC blocks, and new drive data is recorded in a physical cluster or ECCblock directly next to the recently-recorded physical cluster or ECCblock, and a method of recording data in the information storage medium.

Additional aspects and/or advantages of the invention will be set forthin part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obviousfrom the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention.

According to an aspect of the present invention, an information storagemedium includes a drive zone for recording disk drive data to berecorded in a plurality of physical clusters or ECC blocks, whereinnewer drive data is recorded in a second physical cluster or ECC blockadjacent a first physical cluster or ECC block containing a mostrecently recorded drive data recorded prior to the recording of thenewer drive data.

According to an aspect of the invention, every time new drive data is tobe recorded, previous drive data is also recorded in the second physicalcluster or ECC block.

According to another aspect of the invention, identical drive data isrecorded in a set of physical clusters or ECC blocks that aresequentially grouped in order of a layout of the physical clusters.

According to a further aspect of the invention, valid drive data andcopy drive data are recorded in two sequential reliable, effectivephysical clusters or ECC blocks, respectively.

According to an additional aspect of the invention, the addresses of thephysical clusters or ECC blocks are recorded in an area for recordinginformation related to defect management, in an area for recordingrecording-related information, or in an area for recording disk-relatedinformation.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a method ofrecording drive data on an information storage medium includes recordingfirst drive data in one of a plurality of physical clusters or ECCblocks which comprise a drive zone, and next recording new drive data inanother physical cluster or ECC block directly adjacent to the onephysical cluster or ECC block containing the most recently recordeddrive data.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and/or other features and advantages of the present inventionwill become more apparent by describing in detail exemplary embodimentsthereof with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 shows the data structure of a lead-in area or a lead-out area ofa disk related to the present invention;

FIG. 2A shows an information storage medium according to an embodimentof the present invention;

FIG. 2B is a table showing a method of recording the address of a drivezone on the information storage medium of FIG. 2A;

FIG. 3A shows an information storage medium according to anotherembodiment of the present invention and a method of recording data onthe information storage medium;

FIG. 3B is a table showing a method of recording the address of a drivezone on the information storage medium of FIG. 3A;

FIG. 4 shows a defective drive zone in the information storage medium ofFIG. 3A; and

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a recording apparatus according to anembodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Reference will now be made in detail to the present embodiments of thepresent invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to the like elementsthroughout. The embodiments are described below in order to explain thepresent invention by referring to the figures.

FIG. 1 shows an example of the physical structure of a lead-in areawhich covers an area within a predetermined radius from the central holeof a disk 1000. The lead-in area includes a reproduction-only zone 100,in which data is pre-recorded, and a recordable zone 110. Thereproduction-only zone 100 stores control data associated with the disk1000. The recordable zone 110 includes a defect management area (DMA) 1for processing and managing defects generated in a disk, a control datazone 2, an optimum power control (OPC) test zone 3, and a buffer zone 5.

The recordable zone 110 further includes a drive zone 10 in which drivedata is recorded according to an aspect of the invention. The drive zone10 includes a plurality of physical clusters or ECC blocks 10-0 through10-n shown in FIG. 2A. Each of the physical clusters or ECC blocks 10-0through 10-n includes a plurality of sectors or data frames. The drivezone 10 having this structure stores drive data, such as informationabout the manufacturer of a used drive, the serial number of the drive,and the like.

In an information storage medium 1000 according to the presentinvention, new drive data is recorded in a physical cluster or ECC blockdirectly next to a physical cluster or ECC block in which previous datahas been recorded. The drive zone 10 can also be located in an areaother than a user data area of the disc 1000. For example, the drivezone 10 can be provided in a lead-in area or a lead-out area of the disc1000.

As shown in FIG. 1, the lead-in area (or lead-out area) of theinformation storage medium 1000 includes the reproduction-only zone 100and the recordable zone 110. The reproduction-only zone 100 stores basicinformation about a disk in the form of pits or a high frequency groovewobble. The reproduction-only zone 100 stores the size, version number,and recording conditions of the disk. The recordable zone 110 includesthe DMA 1, the control data zone 2, the OPC test zone 3, the drive zone10, and the buffer zone 5. The drive zone 10 stores drive-relatedinformation in the recordable zone 110.

Referring to FIG. 2A, a drive zone 10 in an information storage medium1000 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes (n+1)physical clusters or ECC blocks comprising a zeroth physical cluster orECC block 10-0 through an n-th physical cluster or ECC block 10-n, Eachphysical cluster or each ECC block 10-0 through 10-n includes aplurality of sectors or frames according to aspects of the invention.For convenience, reference will be made only to physical clusters.

Zeroth drive data 15-0, which is first used, is recorded in the zerothphysical cluster 10-0. After the recording of the zeroth drive data, anyremaining unrecorded area is filled with dummy data. Next, if data isrecorded or reproduced by a new drive (i.e., a first drive), first drivedata 15-1 about the new drive is recorded in a first physical cluster10-1 following the zeroth physical cluster 10-0. The first drive data15-1 is recorded in the first physical cluster 10-1. The zeroth drivedata 15-0 which is recorded in the zeroth physical cluster 10-0 iscopied and is also recorded in the first physical cluster 10-1.

Similarly, if another new drive, which is a second drive, is used toexecute recording, second drive data 15-2, which is data about thesecond drive, is recorded in a second physical cluster 10-2 followingthe first physical cluster 10-1 where the last data 15-1 has beenrecorded. The most recently recorded drive data, the second drive data15-2, is recorded at the head of the second physical cluster 10-2. Thefirst and zeroth drive data 15-1 and 15-0, which have already beenrecorded, are copied and sequentially recorded next to the second drivedata 15-2.

As described above, every time new drive data is recorded,previously-recorded drive data is recorded again so that the history ofthe previous drive data is known. Recent drive data is recorded at thehead of a physical cluster, and the previously-recorded drive data iscopied and recorded next to the recent drive data. Accordingly,reproduction of all physical clusters containing previously-recordeddrive data is not required since all of the drive data can be recognizedby reproducing only the physical cluster containing the most recentrecorded drive data. Thus, the drives used can be efficiently managed.However, it is understood that other arrangements of drive data can bemade in order to manage the drives without departing from the spirit ofthe invention.

According to an aspect of the invention, an address of a physicalcluster 10-0 through 10-n, which contains the most recently recordeddrive data, is recorded in an area separate from the drive zone 10. Asshown in FIG. 2B, the address of a physical cluster or ECC block 10-0through 10-n, which contains the most recently recorded drive data, canbe recorded in a predetermined area of the disc 1000. More specifically,the address of an area containing the most recently recorded drive datacan be recorded in the DMA 1, which includes data about defectmanagement, in an area containing recording-related data (e.g., arecording speed, a recording pulse, recording power, etc.), or in anarea containing disk-related data (e.g., the type, version number, size,and number of layers of a disk). The area containing recording-relateddata or disk-related data may be the control data zone 2 of FIG. 1.

As shown in FIG. 2B, the address of a physical cluster or ECC block 10-0through 10-n, which contains the most recently recorded drive data isrecorded at a predetermined byte of a data frame included in the areacontaining recording-related data or disk-related data. Every time newdrive data is recorded in a predetermined area, the physical address ofthe area containing the new drive data may be recorded at a bytedifferent from the byte where the physical address of the areacontaining the previous drive data has been recorded, or may beoverwritten at the byte where the physical address of the areacontaining the previous drive data has been recorded.

An information storage medium according to another embodiment of thepresent invention and a method of recording data thereon will now bedescribed with reference to FIGS. 3A and 3B. In the data recordingmethod, if a drive zone 10, where drive data is recorded, has unreliablephysical clusters 10-0 through 10-n due to continuous or discontinuousgeneration of defects in the physical clusters or ECC blocks 10-0through 10-n, the drive data is recorded in only the reliable, effectiveones of the physical clusters 10-0 through 10-n in order of the layoutof physical clusters 10-0 through 10-n. The drive data can be recordedin such a way that one drive datum is recorded on one physical clusteror ECC block in sequence 10-0 through 10-n. Alternatively, to increasereliability, the same drive data can be recorded in a set of consecutivephysical clusters or ECC blocks 10-0 through 10-n.

In case the drive data is damaged and cannot be used, identical data isrecorded in at least two physical clusters or ECC blocks 10-0 through10-n. Referring to FIG. 3A, for example, two physical clusters or ECCblocks 10-0 through 10-n are used to record the same drive data.Hereinafter, for the sake of simplicity, reference will be made only tophysical clusters.

For example, zeroth valid drive data 20-0 is recorded in the zerothphysical cluster 10-0 of an area for recording drive data. A zeroth copydrive data 21-0, which is a copy of the zeroth valid drive data 20-0, isrecorded in the first physical cluster 10-1. If new first valid drivedata 20-1 is recorded, the new first valid drive data 20-1 is recordedin the second physical cluster 10-2 following the first physical cluster10-1, which contains the most recently recorded copy drive data 21-0(i.e., the zeroth copy drive data 21-0). The previously-recorded drivedata (i.e., the zeroth valid drive data 20-0) is then recorded in thesecond physical cluster 10-2. First copy drive data 21-1, which is acopy of the first valid drive data 20-1, is recorded in the thirdphysical cluster 10-3. As described above, every time drive data isupdated, valid drive data and copy drive data can be recorded in theaforementioned way.

The addresses of physical clusters, where valid drive data and copydrive data are recorded using a drive data recording method according toan embodiment of the present invention, are recorded and managed in apredetermined area separate from the drive zone 10. For example, theaddress of the area containing the last valid drive data and the addressof the area containing the last copy drive data can be recorded at apredetermined byte in a data frame of the DMA 1, in a data frame of thearea containing recording-related data, or in a data frame of the areacontaining disk-related data. Each of the areas containingrecording-related data and disk-related data may be the control datazone 2 of FIG. 1.

The above description sets forth a case where all of the physicalclusters or ECC blocks 10-0 through 10-n of a drive zone 10 areeffective. However, a case may exist where ones of the physical clustersor ECC blocks 10-0 through 10-n are consecutively or discontinuouslydamaged or have defects. Accordingly, drive data recorded therein is notreliable. In this case, the drive data needs to be recorded in onlyreliable, effective ones of the physical clusters or ECC blocks 10-0through 10-n.

FIG. 4 schematically shows a drive zone comprised of n+1 physicalclusters, in which some damaged unreliable physical clusters 10-0, 10-1,10-3, 10-5, 10-6, and 10-(n−1) are indicated using hashing. Referring toFIG. 4, the zeroth and first physical clusters 10-0 and 10-1 aredamaged, the second physical cluster 10-2 is effective, the thirdphysical cluster 10-3 is damaged, and the fourth physical cluster 10-4is effective. In this case, valid drive data and corresponding copydrive data are recorded in the second and fourth reliable, effectivephysical clusters 10-2 and 10-4, respectively. Also, copy drive data andvalid drive data are recorded in effective seventh and eighth physicalclusters 10-7 and 10-8, respectively. It is understood that the abovemethod is useable if no copy drive data is used, such as in theembodiment set forth above with reference to FIG. 2A.

As described above, drive data is recorded in only reliable physicalclusters, which are not damaged, in order of the physical cluster layoutof a drive zone 10. Preferably, the same drive data is recorded in twosequential, reliable physical clusters. As shown in FIG. 4, if thezeroth and first physical clusters 10-0 and 10-1 are damaged andunusable, the second physical cluster 10-2 is reliable, and the thirdphysical cluster 10-3 is also unusable, drive data is recorded inreliable physical clusters in order of the layout of the physicalclusters. Here, the drive data corresponds to a pair of valid drive dataand copy drive data. In FIG. 4, “0” denotes recording of drive data intwo sequential reliable, effective physical clusters.

As also noted above, the recording method is equally applicable to adrive zone 10 which includes ECC blocks instead of physical clusters.

The present invention provides a new drive data recording method whichis applicable to a new format of an information storage medium. The newdrive data recording method can be effectively applied not only torecordable information storage media, but also to write-once informationstorage media. In write-once information storage media, each physicalcluster or ECC block records data once. Accordingly, when new drive datais recorded in a write-once information storage medium, it cannot berecorded in a previously-recorded physical cluster or ECC block but onlyin a physical cluster or ECC block directly next to the physical clusteror ECC block where the last drive data has been recorded. Therefore, therecording method according to the present invention is suitable forwrite once recording media. As such, the method could be applied toCD-R, DVD-R, and next generation high definition DVDs, such as Blu-raydiscs and Advanced Optical Discs (AODs).

In recordable information storage media, new drive data is recorded inan area where the last drive data has been recorded. Hence, even if onlythe area containing the last drive data is reproduced, drive data can beeffectively managed.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a recording apparatus according to anembodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 5, the recordingapparatus includes a recording/reading unit 1001, a controller 1002, anda memory 1003. The recording/reading unit 1001 records data on a disc1000, which is an embodiment of an information storage medium 1000 ofthe present invention, and reads the data from the disc 1000. Thecontroller 1002 records and manages drive data according to the presentinvention as set forth above in relation to FIGS. 1 through 4.

While not required in all aspects, it is understood that the controller1002 can be a computer implementing the method using a computer programencoded on a computer readable medium. The computer can be implementedas a chip having firmware, or can be a general or special purposecomputer programmable to perform the method.

In addition, it is understood that, in order to achieve a recordingcapacity of several dozen gigabytes, the recording/reading unit 1001could include a low wavelength, high numerical aperture type unit usableto record dozens of gigabytes of data on the disc 1000. Examples of suchunits include, but are not limited to, those units using lightwavelengths of 405 nm and having numerical apertures of 0.85, thoseunits compatible with Blu-ray discs, and/or those units compatible withAdvanced Optical Discs (AODs). Examples of other write once discsinclude CD-R and DVD-R.

Although a few embodiments of the present invention have been shown anddescribed, it would be appreciated by those skilled in the art thatchanges may be made in this embodiment without departing from theprinciples and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined inthe claims and their equivalents.

1. A method of recording first and second drive data in a drive zonehaving a plurality of physical clusters or error correction code (ECC)blocks on a disk, the method comprising: recording first drive data in afirst physical cluster or ECC block; recording second drive data and thefirst drive data in a second physical cluster or ECC block; andrecording an address of the first or second physical cluster or ECCblock in an area on the disk separate from the drive zone; wherein thedrive zone is included in an area on the disk other than a user dataarea in which user data is recordable on the disk.
 2. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the drive zone is included in a recordable zone of alead-in area on the disk.
 3. An information storage medium comprising adrive zone having a plurality of physical clusters or error correctioncode (ECC) blocks, the information storage medium comprising: a firstphysical cluster or ECC block comprising first drive data; and a secondphysical cluster or ECC block comprising second drive data and the firstdrive data; wherein an address of the first or second physical clusteror ECC block is recorded in an area on the disk separate from the drivezone; and wherein the drive zone is included in an area other than auser data area in which user data is recordable on the informationstorage medium.
 4. The information storage medium of claim 3, whereinthe drive zone is included in a recordable zone of a lead-in area on theinformation storage medium.